Section 24
The Ass, the Fox, and the Lion explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
An and a Fox went into partnership and sallied out to forage for food together. They hadn't gone far before they saw a Lion coming their way, at which they were both dreadfully frightened. But the Fox thought he saw a way of saving his own skin, and went boldly up to the Lion and whispered in...
Read full original text in reading mode
Public-domain original
An and a Fox went into partnership and sallied out to forage for
food together. They hadn't gone far before they saw a Lion coming
their way, at which they were both dreadfully frightened. But the Fox
thought he saw a way of saving his own skin, and went boldly up to the
Lion and whispered in his ear, "I'll manage that you shall get hold of
the Ass without the trouble of stalking him, if you'll promise to let
me go free." The Lion agreed to this, and the Fox then rejoined his
companion and contrived before long to lead him by a hidden pit, which
some hunter had dug as a trap for wild animals, and into which he
fell. When the Lion saw that the Ass was safely caught and couldn't
get away, it was to the Fox that he first turned his attention, and he
soon finished him off, and then at his leisure proceeded to feast upon
the Ass.
Betray a friend, and you'll often find you have ruined yourself.
Public-domain original text shown for study context. Underlined terms can be tapped for simple reader notes.
What happens here
A fox betrays an ass to a lion and is then betrayed by the lion.
Why this scene matters
This fable warns that traitors should not expect loyalty from those they help.
Characters in this scene
- Ass: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- the Fox: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- the Lion: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
A fox offers the ass to the lion to save himself. The lion takes the ass, then turns on the fox too.